Board member SSH Steye Verhoeve
Master student at the faculty of Geoscience of the Utrecht University and board member of BoKS, the representative association for all tenants of the housing association SSH.
How does your work help to shape the world of tomorrow?
I’m a Master’s student at the Faculty of Geosciences specialising in ‘Earth Surface and Water’. In my studies, I am working to understand natural hazards in the world such as erosion, floods, earthquakes and dike breaches. After my studies, I would like to help realise a safer world of tomorrow. In addition to my studies I am also a board member of BoKS, a representative association for all tenants of the housing association SSH. We bring tenants’ issues such as complaints and requests to the attention of SSH. A good example of this is the realisation of underground refuse containers in this area. This prevents people from searching through rubbish, which in addition to being undesirable also makes a mess and causes a nuisance. Preventing this will help improve the quality of life here.
What does your work contribute to society? How does it impact me?
I chose to study environmental sciences because of my personal ambition to make the world a better place. I want to help realise a safer world by doing my bit to better understand and deal with natural disasters and climate change. In addition to pursuing my studies, I also sought extracurricular activities in line with my personal vision. This led me to the board of BoKS. As student positions are very changeable and not all residential boards are equally active, my role provides much-needed continuity of information and a point of contact for any questions people have. When students step down, it often results in a lot of knowledge being lost. In such cases, new members can come to me. In addition, I am responsible for the sustainability portfolio. I monitor developments in the field of sustainable student accommodation, and bring relevant opportunities and tenants’ wishes to the attention of SSH.
What is your dream? What do you want to achieve in the next 5–10 years?
As long as I do my bit to realise a safer world with regard to natural disasters, then I will be happy. I want to create opportunities for people in developing countries as the effects of climate change are felt most strongly there. I want to give them resources to help them deal with climate change and its consequences. I also hope that in ten years’ time, our lives will have become more sustainable and we treat the Earth with greater care. I want us to live more ecocentrically and less anthropocentrically.
Utrecht Science Park is highly sustainable, but there’s always room for improvement there, and even more so in other parts of the world. It is vital that the impact of construction and accommodation on the climate is reduced. The innovations devised at Utrecht Science Park are very valuable and can be applied both in the Netherlands and abroad. It would be great, therefore, if the students could exert enough pressure to show how important this is to the future. If this could result in trend-setting sustainable buildings throughout the whole of Utrecht Science Park in ten years’ time then that would be really fantastic!
Address
Utrecht Science Park Foundation
Heidelberglaan 11
3584 CS Utrecht
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Phone
+31 30 800 4499
KvK
56652488
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